Golf-practice apparatus



June 2, 25 1,540,350

D. D. LONGENECKER GOLF PRACTI CE APPARATUS Filed July 3, 1923 11 }NVEN-TOR fiolzakifl.

WITNESSES A TToR'ivE YS v CR Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES DONALD D. LONGENECKER, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

GOLF-PRACTICE APPARATUS.

Application filed July 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD D. LoNGE- NECKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf Practice Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in golf practice apparatus, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a golf practice apparatus which is adapted to be set up at home and which when in set up or operative position affords facilities permitting of the use of the niblick club to drive a golf ball under conditions practically paralleling conditions which will be encountered during play on a golf course.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golf-practice apparatus of the character described which is adapted to be folded into small compass for the purpose of transportation or storage and which can be set up instantly without the use of any tools on a surface of relatively small area.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of the character described an obstruction which is adjustable to vary the height thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of the character described an open basket or receptacle into which a ball is to be driven and means for supporting the basket or receptacle in a desired relation to an obstruction so that the angle of the plane of the open end of the basket or receptacle in respect to the vertical can be varied at will.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a golf-practice apparatus of the character described an obstruction which permits observation therethrough by a player of a receptacle or basket which is placed at the side of the obstruction opposite the player, whereby a ball which the player has driven over the obstruction toward the receptacle or basket is in the view of the player during its flight and the player 1923. Serial No. 649,315.

parent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a golf practice apparatus embodying the invention in set up or fully operative position, and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View showing a portion of a basket which is comprised in the invention.

An apparatus embodying the invention is designed particularly for use in practicing the strokes requiring the use of the niblick club. As is well known, the driving face of the niblick club is inclined less in respect to the horizontal than the driving faces of other clubs used in playing, golf, the niblick club being designed for use in driving a golf ball lying at the bot-tom of a sand pit or in a like location so that the ball will have a high trajectory and will clear the side of the sand pit or like obstruction.

Golf players rarely become proficient in the use of the niblick club for the reason that the occasions requiring the use of the niblick club during the playing of a game of golf over a golf course are comparatively few, and the strokes which are to be executed with the niblick club require a high degree of skill which can be attained only as a result of considerable practice.

My invention provides an apparatus which can be set up at home in a space of relatively little area and which permits the use of the niblick club under conditions similar to those which will be found on a golf course.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in Figure 1 an apparatus embodying the invention. This apparatus comprises a mat 1 upon which the ball'which is to be driven is placed, an obstruction designated generally 2 over which a ball must be driven, and a basket or receptacle 3 located at the opposite side of the obstruction from the mat 1 and into which the ball is to be driven. The mat 1 may be made of cocoa-libreor any other suitable material which will con form as nearly as possible in physical char held in spaced parallel relation by a pair of spaced apart horizontal frame members 4. The upper horizontal frame member 4 is connected with the side frame members 2' adjacent to the upper ends of the latter while the lower horizontal frame member 4 connects with the side frame members 2 at an appreciable distance above the lower ends of the side frame members, so that the ex trem'ities of the lower end portions 5 of the side frame members are free and the lower end portions 5 of the side frame members constitute legs for cooperating with apair of inclined braces orsupports 6 to support the frame of the-obstructionv on a. supporting surface 7 at a desired angle to the perpendicular. The respective. braces or supports 6 are pivotally attached at their upper ends, as at 8, to the correspondingside frame members 2. adjacent tow and at equal distances from the: upperends of the latter. The braces :orsupports (Share the lower ends thereofrfree and. the lower ends ofthe braces 6: and of the lower end portions?) of the side frame members? may be pointed to engage withthe surface 7 to hold the frame of the ObStI'HOtlOIIitll anyv desired angle. to the perpendicular. It thus will be apparent that the vertical distance at which the upper horizontalrmember. of the frame of: the obstruction islocated. from. thesurfa-ce 7 may be varied. by adjusting the. angular relation of the incliired'braces or supports 6 to the side frame members 2" and that the height of the obstruction may thus be varied.

A length ofaforaminousmaterial 9 which maybe: netting is. stretched across the side frame; members 2 between the upper and lower-horizontal members 4 being secured to. the. side frame. members 2" and to the upperi and: lower horizontal members 4 also if desired; in any suitable. known manner; no means therefore. being shown in the drawings.

The basket: or receptacle' 3 is shown as being substantially cupshaped and comprising a substantially hemispherical body 10 made of netting or like material and'havingxloops-or'eyes 11' along the edge of the body. at the open end thereof. A ring 12 extends through the loops 11 and'is sufficiently rigid to hold the body 10 open. The ring 12 is adjustable to vary the. diameter thereof and'may comprise a rod made of metahor other m-aterial'suitahle to be-bent toc'ircuhrr form and being held in circular form by a sleeve 13 which overlaps and frictionally engages with the end portions of the: rod. The-basket 3Lis adapted to be supported on the surface 7 with the body 10 held slightly above the surface 7 with the open end or mouth of'the body 10 uppermost through the agency ofa-plurality of legs 14 which have eyes 15- at their upper ends through which the ring 12- extendsand which preferably have the lower end thereof pointed to engage with the surface 7. The legs 14 are arranged in. spaced apart relation and since the ring-12 extends loosely through the eyes 15, the angle of the legs 14 in respect to the plane of the surface 7 may be varied to vary the height at which the open end ormouth of the basket will be spaced from the surface 7 or to position the body 10-so that" the plane of the open end or mouth of the basket will lie in parallel relation to the surface7 or at any'desired angle .within a considerable range to the surface. 7.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of? the device, the operation thereoffmay bereadily understood. A; golf ball 16 is-placedon the met 1 and a: nibliek. club 17 is used to strike the balli withthe objectiin .vi'ew ofcausingit to rise ata sharp angle and to clearzthe obstruction Qand fall at' a desired spoti ati the other side of the obstruction. The basket 3is positioned at; the desired spot at the other side of the obstruction from the mat and:the bal'l willhave the trajectory indicated by the arrows-inlfigure 1 when the stroke withthe niblick clubhas been. executed with precision; The'legs 14 maybe adjusted-to:position.the'basket so that apart of the area of the openend ormouth of the basket lies in the desired trajectory. The height oflthe obstruction 2 also may be variedrin themanner which has-been described. Since the body of the obstruction. is made of a foraminous-material;.the player may observe the ball at all times dur 'ingitsfli'ght and is thus abletonote the the parture of the: ball from 1 the desired trajectory andto correct in a relatively short time the faults in the use of the nib'lick club which cause theball to be driven inaccurately. I I

Another importantadvantage of the apparatusis'that the legs. 6 may be folded substantially in the planeofthe side members'Q", the legs 14 of the basket may be swung into the plane of the ring; 12' and the body 10 of the basket may be flattened or folded into thesame plane, and the fold-' ed obstruction, folded basket and mat- 1 may be packed into small comp'ass for the purpose of storage or.transportation while at the-same time the apparatus can be set up instantly in the position illustrated in Figure 1 without the use of any tools. It thus will be apparent that the: receptacle constitutes what may be termed an objective? Obviously, my invention is: susceptible of embodiment'in. forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawing and I therefore consider as my own'zall modifications and adaptations of the form of the device described herein which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In a golf-practice apparatus, an objective comprising a receptacle open at one end, means for adjustably supporting the receptacle on a supporting surface so that the open end of the receptacle Will be uppermost and may be positioned in planes extending at various angles to the perpendicular, a mat from which a golf ball can be driven, and an obstruction positioned between said mat and said objective.

2. In a golf-practice apparatus, an objcctive comprising a receptacle having a substantially cup-shaped body, means for adjustably supporting the cup-shaped body on a, supporting surface so that the open end of the body will be uppermost and may be positioned in planes extending at various angles to the perpendicular, and an ob struction adapted to be positioned in a desired relation to said objective, said obstruction being adjustable to vary the effective height thereof according to the inclination of the plane of the open end of the receptacle and the distance of the latter from said obstruction.

3. In a golf-practice apparatus, an objective consisting of a receptacle compris ing a cup-shaped body made of a foldable material, a ring engaging with the edge portion of said cup-shaped body for holding the body open at one end, said ring being adjustable to vary the diameter thereof, and means for supporting the body on a supporting surface to position the ring in a plane extending at a desired angle tothe perpendicular.

4:. In a golf-practice apparatus, an obj ective consisting of a receptacle comprising a cup-shaped body made of a, foldable material, a ring engaging with the edge portion of said cup-shaped body for holding the body open at one end, said ring being adjustable to vary the diameter thereof, and a plurality of legs, each pivotally attached at its upper end to said rin and being free at its other end, said legs being spaced apart along the circumference of the rin DONALD n. Lonennnoirna. 

